Fighting For Fluoride-Free Water

29 April 2012

By Kim DeYong

(LaSALLE, ON) – Your request for a response to the artificial water fluoridation concerns of Lasalle residents has been received from Arlene King and will be presented to council on May 8, 2012. Dr. King’s letter is the typical endorsement/form-letter, as predicted, with no reference to science or evidence as to the safety or effectiveness of the actual product being used in the practice of artificial water fluoridation. Surely, Lasalle Councillors will see that this is not the science-based evidence that concerned Lasalle residents require to be assured that their drinking water is as safe as it can be.

Might I suggest someone ask a more specific and direct inquiry so as to better increase your chances of getting actual evidence based, scientific, peer-reviewed information, if such exists? Or perhaps Dr. Heimann can provide this?

Ms. King, please supply to our local councils and press, the TWO most compelling, variable controlled, statistically significant, peer-reviewed, primary research papers which you have read, that supports your claims that water fluoridation is proven safe for daily human consumption, and is proven effective at reducing dental caries. Will you please forward it to us all, so that our community members can read it for themselves and make public comment about it? That would be really helpful. Just the two best research papers, one on safety and one on effectiveness, which you have read.

We ask this of you because your form-letter to our community, dated March 27, 2012, only contained opinions, endorsements and name dropping with respect to promoting water fluoridation. Just the two best research papers, please.

Meanwhile, there has been a plethora of new information and confirmations that support safe fluoride-free water since your council last addressed this issue in February. In addition, following in the footsteps of Lakeshore, Amherstburg and Tecumseh, another Canadian community’s council has just voted this week to cease this out-dated practice.

The Town of Okotoks is taking the Fluoride out of it’s drinking water.

In a 6-1 vote council agreed to repeal the existing fluoridation bylaw and direct administration to apply to Alberta Environment to stop putting it into the town’s water. Councillor Florence Christophers, who originally brought the motion forward, was pleased that it passed.

“I think it’s a cautious, conservative way forward. I think it basically says to our community there’s some doubt around this issue, the science isn’t clear and we’re asking for that science before we deny you the choice,” she explains. “I take very serious the ethical argument that there’s many, many citizens in our community that really want to be given the choice about whether or not this pharmaceutical, this chemical is in their bloodstream.”

She stresses that Fluoride is not the only option for good dental hygiene, pointing to the province of PEI as an example. “60 percent of 12 year olds in their province have never had a cavity – it’s the lowest in Canada. And do they fluoridate? They don’t. They’ve done it in creative ways – they’ve worked with schools, they’ve done really great promotion campaigns around dental hygiene – that gets me excited! Let’s get to the root of the issue instead of putting a controversial pharmaceutical in our water and dividing our community on this.”

A second motion passed will see administration consult with Alberta Health Services to ensure a program is in place to provide topical fluoride treatments or fluoridated toothpaste for individuals at risk of dental cavities and may need assistance.

Mayor Bill Robertson was the lone vote against the motion as he tried, unsuccessfully, to put the issue to a plebiscite as part of the next municipal election. About 66-percent of respondents to the town’s survey said they either somewhat or strongly opposed the use of Fluoride in public drinking water.

Should anyone on Lasalle Council wish to request accurate and science-based information from accredited fluoride toxicity professionals, (who have conducted fluoride research, published peer-reviewed fluoride studies, and participated in unbiased water fluoridation review panel) please refer to the list of Fluoridation Experts that was provided to council in February (or if you need it again I can send it to you, no problem!).

As always, if there is anything that I or Fluoride Free Windsor members can do to help Lasalle Council make a decision in favour of precaution to be protective of future generations and the environment, please do not hesitate to contact me.

2 Commentson "Fighting For Fluoride-Free Water"

No one cares, maybe that’s the problem. That’s why this nonsense is allowed to continue. How can you not care about something that affects you on a daily basis? Recently, WUC investigated the source of the hydrofluorosilicic acid that’s added to our water and reported that it is, in fact, a byproduct of the fertilizer industry. It’s not even pharmaceutical grade that dentists use. And that there have been no studies done to prove it’s safety. It’s illegal to dump anywhere in the environment. Fluoride is not good for you. It may be effective topically, when applied to the surface of the teeth, but not if it’s ingested. Drinking fluoride to prevent tooth decay is like drinking sunblock to prevent sunburn.